Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-05-20
lailg gress and 9akptaian
DAKOTA GAS.
The Third strike ON h Mcclure Farm
III Near Blunt.

The Third strike on the Mcclure Farm
Near Blunt.
Blunt, May 18-Natural gas was struck
for the third time on II. M. McClure's
place west of this city while boring for
water yesterday. This one is o. g%usher.
Blunt Advocate: 1t will be remem
bered that on the 24th OF February, while
boring for water, Mr.. X. Nd. Mcclure,
living on 23-113-77, Summit township,
Suily county, eight miles northwest OF
Blunt, struck q veln OF gas at a depth
OF 1870 feet. A lighted match was APP
Piled and it showed signs, of force. burn
ing q flame at least four feet high.
Gas not being the object of Mr.. Mo
Clure's search, he pulled out his tubing,
abandoning the hole, and proceeded to
sink another about twenty o. twenty five
rods north, on q line nearly from HIS
house IN hopes OF striking water. AT a
depth of 1874 feet another vein of gas was
struck, which appeared to flow freely and
with greater force than the first one and
burned with o steady flame. This shaft.
ing was also removed and The hole allow
ed to fill up with dirt, and no signs of
escaping gas can now be noticed. Mr..
Mcclure ID perfectly satisfied With the
quality and thinks from the force of the
flow that there can be no doubt about
the supply. Mr.. Edward Thompson,
proprietor OF the Blunt roller mills. who
accompanied tho writer, while some
thing of q scientist, laysno claims to any
speoisl knowledge of the geological for
nations or science of the earth, yet
he questioned closely both Mr.. Mcclure
and Mr.. Dempsey-the latter gem
tleman IN charge of the drilling machin-
ery--concerning the different strata
through which they passed in boring
these holeF, and it seems just before
striking the gas vein that they drilled
for q number of feet ID o soft slate stone.
There seems to be very little smell to
the gas, and what little there is has a
tendency towards the fumes OF evaporat-
ing kerosene.
Going to the hole FIRST mentioned, we
were informed thatit had never been
closed; that after its first discovery IL
was allowed to burn steadily for three
weeks and was used to melt snow for
stock and family use, producing heat
sufficient to melt in an hours time q
barrel of water, uslpg a large tin pan
for q kettle, The snow, however, as it
melted in the spring ran down the hole
and it WAS supposed to be partly filled
with water and dirt, yet gas was oontin-
,ueliy escaping, said MIR. Mcclure, and a
match was lighted, held oyer the hole
and to great surprise there came
forth q flame Of light which carried o,
feeling of satisfaction with it, substan-
tiatiatinR beyond q doubt every utter
ance by Mr.. Mcclure.
The fact that four or five gas veins
have been struck without o radius of
eight or ten miles, and the further fact
that some OF the water wells Of an equal
depth to these veins have strong symp-
toms OF escaping gas, leads us to be-
lieve the matter worthy OF attention
and investigation. Hardly an eastern
daily mi TO our table but what con-
tains mention OF the discovery OF natural
gas in some new point in Indiana, Ohio,
or some other state. These gas wells
are utilized for light and heat. and in
many towns have attracted manufacture
Ing industries, who use the gas for
power instead of steam. Why should
we not move in the direction OF an or
|ganization to investigate? The discov.
ery of q natural economizer such as gas
would soon solve the fuel question and
give Dakota, and particularly this SEQ
tion, such @ boom as could never bt
realized from any other source.